TOP GUNS IN NORTH & SOUTH READY TO FACE THE “FANTASTIC FOUR” THIS JULY IN GOA

The Northern & Southern editions of RFC India 2016 selections got off to a great start in January and now getting ready to take on the final in Goa this 22-29 July before the RFC Grand Final in Malaysia this November.  

Local off-road warrior Tejinder Pal Singh of Gerrari Off-roaders Chandigarh emerged as the winner of the inaugural Force Gurkha RFC North India held in Chandigarh, Punjab on January 16-17. Jegat Nanjapa, a nine-time winner in Indian Rally Riders championships, took the RFC South India title in Bangalore after two days of extreme 4x4 action on Janury 23-24. Here’s a summary of how the top two teams from the selections won their respective “tickets” to Goa. 

Continue reading

THE RISE OF THE ROOKIES

May Day surprised at the local edition of RFC Global Series 2015 with the Rise of the Rookies, which dominated the entries of this year’s RFC Malaysia (1-4 May).

The display of “new blood” in the stock standard pick-ups, wagons and SUV classes was both spectacular in terms of number of entries (3/4 of the 50 teams) and their “Get Up and Get Going Spirit” to continue with the Special Stages (SS) from the Prologue SS held at Nilai3 Street Mall (Malaysia’ s biggest wholesale market) to Jeram Toi and Alam Liar jungle stages at Jelebu district of Negeri Sembilan.

Continue reading

MONSOON & MASSALA!

When rain showers and dark clouds dominate the sky during the South West Monsoon in August, when the heavy precipitation transforms the dry, dusty trails into formidable and punishing terrain, and when most tourists skip the rainy season in the State of Goa, India – it was time to unleash the inaugural Indian chapter of the Force Gurkha Rainforest Challenge!

This historic debut was brought about by Cougar Motorsports, the New Delhi based RFC India Representative. The concept fits perfectly with the state’s tourism plans of promoting Goa in the hinterland during the monsoon season. "It is a sports and adventure tourism activity unrelated to the already numerous beach events and concerts, but one which attracted hundreds of off-road enthusiasts coming from all over India in various categories like race teams, support crew, officials, sponsors and outdoor adventure fans," commented Ashish Gupta, the Founder of Cougar Motorsports.

Continue reading

RUSSIAN SPRING OFFENSIVE

This time around, Father Frost gave way to Mother Spring rather early with good weather (5-9 degrees Celsius) across Russian western region, and with no strong wind; it was a perfect setting for the launch of a Spring Offensive “a la 4x4.”

Thirty-three combat teams were assembled from 9 Russian regions including first-timers from St Petersburg, Tambov and Belarus joined forces with Moscow for a stunning assault at X-Arena, the battlefield for the 3rd edition of RFC Russia (West), organized by host partner Pro-X.

Continue reading

RISE OF THE MACHINES

The soggy, muddy, slippery and treacherous terrain in the vicinity of the Isonzo River has the reputation of testing man and machine to the limit and beyond through the ages. Only the special warrior breed would be able to take their machines to rise above such punishing terrain.

The venue chosen was appropriate enough; former war zones from the Isonzo Front where a series of 12 battles were fought between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies during World War I. Further back into history, this northern part of Italy was also the conduit through which the Romans made military excursions and connections with the exotic world of Byzantium and the Orient as well as being a reverse conduit for the invasion of Rome. Truly, hard-fought battles took place in this region of flood prone riverbanks through the centuries in this flood prone riverbanks.
Continue reading

SIZZLING SRI LANKA

Nostalgic train transport, rebel held territory, rugged highlands, picturesque eastern province, sand dunes, surfing paradise, jungle stages, tough terrain, Sappers track, 4x4 supremacy of off-road modified and production class vehicles, what have these got in common? Sports and adventure tourism of course!

The 4x4 fight for supremacy is a sports tourism product put into practice at the recently held Taprobana 4x4 Challenge, a RFC Global Series event of RFC Sri Lanka 2013. 

Continue reading

RAINFOREST CHALLENGE: BACK TO ROOTS

This year is about returning “home,” so to speak, for the Rainforest Challenge (RFC). 

The event’s association with the state of Terengganu on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia goes back to the very beginning of RFC in 1997, where we travelled partly on routes from Hulu Terengganu to Tasik Kenyir. To date, Terengganu has played the official host state in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2011.

Continue reading

SNOW, ICE & MUD AT THE RUSSIAN FRONT

Russia is a tough country in any season, but winter is the toughest of times. It is, thus, rightly that this RFC battle be fought here. The RFC is one of the ten toughest motor races in the world, and its format is brought over to Russia by Pro-X, the associate partner of the Rainforest Challenge.

This inaugural RFC West Russia was unleashed during a bright sunny weekend but the air is still lingering with cold winds blowing from the north. A few days before, slightly warmer temperatures had returned thawing the snow and turning certain sections into muddy stretches but it was still not warm enough to melt away all the snow. It was, however, enough for thrills and spills in off-road competition under snow, ice and mud.

Continue reading